The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-12-30

LYSINTE1.LI GENC GER
freight charges which gives q wholesale
grocer q 6monopoly oil his local trade
against competitors q hundred miles
away, does not have 40 great beafin on
dry goods. But by CAREFUL scrutiny Of the
field and judiclous manageme nt, the dry
goods jobbers Of Wheeling have managed
TO push their trade further and build Il up
to much greater proportions, albeit at |
some sacrifice Of profits, which were Tor.
merly good. Il takes to-day q much
greater volume Of trade to realize % great
aper cent OF profit on tho Investment Than
1t did year ago and the Increase IA still |
greater 40 contras!ed with earlier years.
In notions, business AVERAGED thirty per
cent above the recorda Of $50. Some new
territory was worked, tho central part Of
the State, opened by new railroads, Weld.
ngBond returns for trips In that section.
Collections were good. The outlook for
'SS Is considered still better than a. the
opening Of the present year. Millinery
and tho like prospered. .{gagl
5iei {esi@ q HARDWARE. " 43
In tho various lines Of hardware and
house furnishings, the summing up Of the
busineas ior 81 shows equally pleasing re-
suits. Business was better than ever DO.
lore, the amount oil goods sold exceeding
tho saies OF $50 by aconsiderable per cent.
This advance was made In the face Of &C.
rious drawbacks, chief among which was
the failure Of the fruit crop. Houses
which sold large numbers OF cider presses
last year, Tor instance, sold practically
none this year. This failure Of the fruit
crop, the unsatisfactory condition
OF the wool market and tho
mesgre hay crop, affected not only
tho hardware bueineas, but all branches
Of trade, the farmers whose incomes were
reduced economically reducing also their
expenses. That In the teeth Of this seri-
GUS hindrance TO business growth, Wheel.
ing's commercial operations grew as they
have, gives increased encourageme nj. for
the future. Had the past season been a
highly prosperous one Tor the agricultural
classes the returns for onterpriue must
have been greater; the existing situation
NAKED reasonable the belief that in 1888
WheeliDg's tr2desmen can add to the
volume OF their operations another fifty
per cent. ~ q, ~, b.
Wheeling dealers do not so lar attach
much importance to tho wire nail as q
commercial factor. Some wire nails are
handled here; large quantity OF them
arc dead stock in ono dealers hsnds,
whether became they were OF exception.
ally bad quality Is not known, but they
were rejected as unfit for use. The local
trade In Wheeling nails vas percep!ibly,
but slightly, affected, in the smaller eizes,
by the competition Of wire npils.
GLASSWARE AND ouEENswARE.
In this limo Of tho jobbing business,
both the regular wholesale dealers and
the brokers have had q rarely Prosperous
year, and made money. The volume oil
business in most casea WAS not go large,
owing to the failure Of the fruit crop.
Dealera are gradually abandoning frui.
Jars as q staple. The margin Is too close.
Grocers end nearly every line Of whole
sale merchants hsvo taken in recsnt years
to handling them, and competition hsa re.
duced the profit to nominal figure. The
reduced volume OF business f,om this
cause has, however, produced more salts.
factory returns than ususl, with less risk
and losu. Taken sll in sl, the GoAle.e
taxa very rosy view Of tho immediate
past and the near future. The extension
Of businesa down the Ohio River road and
up tho Kanawha connections has been a
considerable item.
The greateat draThack this broineea en-,
counters Is tho competition OF manutac'
turess, chiefly from East Liverpool, who
put drummsrs on the road end work the
trade Of the smaller cities and larger
towns-she cream Of the Wheeling Job.
bera' trsde. This Ia a business method
to which the Wheeling pottery has never
descended. It has found it more salts.
factory and more profitable in the long
run to protect tho iobbers who handle
Its goods. 55aa.I. s-5...!. 4 .a,.f
BOOTS AND SHOES AND HATS,
In boots, shoes and hats Wheslins's
trade 10 advancing to froat rank ct a
rapid psce. Enterprise aod business
lsagscity have snsblad ,dsaleta here to
meet those Of nearly all tho cities OF the
isrd, and not only hold their own trade,
but win new cussomera. Tho ehoe mon
have vin!ted aoms now territory, and have
devoted good deal oil csre to thorough
work in thsir old Geld. They sell goods
in every ssctlon OF country in which
Wheeling merchants in any line can do
business to Advantage, and as a general
thing their trade reaches further than in
most lincs. The business has increased
about oue.fourth this year; the income
has grown, ALEC, but in less proportion,
owing to the closer figures that had to be
quoted to make sales. q A..
The Wholesale clothing business has
done as well as the average.
- DRUGS, ETC. B. 75
In Wholesale drugs there ia the same
hoalthy soundness and gratifying growth
that marks all other departments Of trade.
Dealers who deaired to push their trade
into new sections placed in closer connec-
ton With Wheeling, found little difficulty
In doing go, and the returns Compensated
for the trouble. Another item OF growth
was due to the prosperity Of the local re-
tatlcra In their line. The increase in vol.
ume OF business in this department has
perhaps been lees marked, but 1t 10 also
true that the profits have kept up better,
so that on tho whole the business OF Isl
in drugs was as satisfactory as in any line.
In short, not q jobber in Wheeling has
been heard to complain for months. This
was trsceable to two reasons: they had not
time, and there was nothing to complain
Of. Is ~ 81
AS whole, the review Of tho past gives
great encouragement to those interested
in the growth and stability Of Wheeling as
q city. Her development has been even
and we'll di0used; 1t mas come from legiti-
mate sources, and 1t hau come 10 stay. s.
Firm Ms Ever. sis,sl " +,
Tho Pittsburgh Dispatch has the follow.
ing: 1t was stated yeatordsy that the press.
ed glaosware manufactured sd decided to
meet every day at their rooms, in the ste-
! WI - I,